Tobacco casing machine



April 21, 1942 A. O. HuRx'rl-.lAL 280,705

TOBACCO CASING MACHINE Filed Julyy 25, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l Pll 21,-1942; A..o. HURXTHAL 2,280,705

TOBACCO CASING MACHINE Fvld July 25, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 vh 'lIlllllllll/lllIlIllllllll/l/lllllllll/llllll April 21, 1942. A. o. HuRxTHAL.

TOBACCO CAS ING MACHINE Filed July 25,- 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 yeyzr Patented Apr. 2l, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE TOBACCO CASING MACHINE Alpheus 0. Hurxthal, Wyncote, Pa., assigner to Proctor & Schwartz, Incorporated, Philadelphia', Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 25, 1940, serai No. 347,523

(01. 1an-13s) 13 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for casing tobacco leaves; and more particularly to improvements in the apparatus disclosed in the common assignees copending application of Hermann S. Bogaty, Serial No. FIGA-44, led October 22, 1937, which issued January 21, 1941, as Patent No. 2,229,546, wherein the heads of the hands or bunches of tobacco are secured to longitudinal slats forming the periphery of a drum which is mounted for rotation about a iixed center within a suitable casing for carrying out one part of the processing of the tobacco leaves for agitating the leaves, i. e. to prevent accumulation of drops of Water thereon and consequent discoloration thereof.

While the apparatus referred to effectively provided the necessary agitation of the tobacco leaves to prevent the undesirable accumulation of free moisture thereon, the device was of the batch type. relatively short time to remove the `processed hands of tobacco from the slatted drum and to replace unprocessed ones thereon, leaving the crew of Workmen idle during the processing cycle itself.

The object of the present invention is to provide a slatted drum type apparatus o f the same kind as noted above employing a plurality of drums instead of a single drum, and means for advancing the centers about which the drums respecf1 tively rotate, and consequently the loaded drums, through an elongated processing chamber from the feed end thereof to the delivery end thereof, with additional means disposed along the path of movement of the drums for maintaining constant rotation of the drums in a uniform direction enroute, whereby the process becomes continuous and the loss of the crews time eliminated.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig; 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional elevation of the improved apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line rl-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 3; v

Figs. 5 and 6, Figs. 7 and 8, and Figs. 9 and 10 are views similar to Figs. 3 and 4 respectively,

showing different ways of obtaining coordinated f rotary and longitudinal movement of the drums simultaneously.

The elongated chamber or housing may be of any desired length to accommodate as `many slatted drums 2, 2, at one time, as desired.

It required a loading crew for a f It will be understood that the housing i may be equipped at spaced intervals along its length with air impellors, humidiers, air conditioners, air heaters, air coolers, etc. operable in the same manner and for the same purpose as disclosed in the aforesaid Bogaty case.

In the present case, each drum 2 is provided with a shaft 3 which projects outwardly beyond its opposite ends 4, 4 respectively to be removably seated for rotation in open U-shaped bearings 6, 6, formed on or carried by links 1, 'I of side chains 5, 5.

The side chains 5, 5 are adapted to slide on horizontal rails 8, 8 which are secured t0 the sides or framework of the chamber I.

The chains 5, 5 pass around and are driven in unison, from any suitable sourcel of power, by sprockets t, 9. As the chains 5, 5 are drawn along the rails 8, 8, the drums 2, 2 are carried thereby, into, through and out the opposite end of the housing I.

Beyond the ends A and Z respectively of the housing I, rails lll, I l! are provided to support the ends of the shafts 3 of the drums 2 for loading and unloading of the drums, or, if the loading and unloading is effected elsewhere, to support the shafts 3 in a manner to enable said shafts to be picked up by the open U-shaped hearings 5 on the chains 5 at the feed end A and to receive the shafts 3 as the same are discharged from said open bearings at the outlet end Z of the housing.

To rotate the drums 2, 2 as they are conveyed through the housing I, the shafts 3, 3 may each be provided, at one or both ends, with a gear I I which is adapted to engage and intermesh with a fixed gear rack I2 secured in place on or adjacent the chain rails 8, 8, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As the chains 5, 5 advance the shafts 3, 3 along the rails 8, 8, the gears II, II interrneshing with the racks I2, I2 rotate the drums 2, 2.

If desired, the opposite ends of each shaft 3 may be extended beyond the gears II, II as shown at 3a, in Figs. 8 and 9 for reception of supporting Wheels I3.

The wheels I3 are adapted to run on tracks lil, adjacent and parallelto the racks I2, I2 to relieve the teeth of the gears I! and racks I2 of the weight of the loaded drums 2.

If desired, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the gears il, II and racks I2, I2 may be eliminated and thel wheels I3a running on the rails Ida may be depended upon to support and to rotate the drums 2, 2 by the traction of the Wheels on the rails.

Should it be found, under some conditions, advisable to rotate the drums 2, 2 at different speeds in different parts respectively of the housing I, each shaft 3b may be provided with a plurality of gears IIa, Hb etc. of different pitch diameters to mesh With racks Illa, I2b respectively in different places along the length of the housing I, as shown in Figs. 9 and l0, wherein the shafts 3b are shown as also having supporting Wheels I3b mounted thereon to run on rails Mb.

It will be understood that when the smooth faced wheels I3 are used solely for supporting purposes they are freely rotatably mounted on the shafts 3, but Where the Wheels I3 are also used as drivers for rotating the drums 2, the Wheels are secured to the shafts. Also, if the Wheels I3 are to assist the gears I I in the turning of the shafts 3, the pitch diameters of the gears II, Would be the same as the diameters of the f peripheries of the smooth faced Wheels I3.

I claim:

l`. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of Which head ends of tobacco hands are secured, means for advancing the drum through the housing from end to end thereof, means for rotating the drum enroute, and means providing for ready removal of the drum from said advancing means at the completion of its travel through said housing.

2. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of which head ends of tobacco hands are secured, means for advancing the drum through the housing from end to end thereof with the axis of the drum transverse to the path of movement of the drum, means on at least one end of the drum cooperating with means disposed along the path of movement of the drum for rotating the drum enroute, and means for removing said drum from said advancing means at the completion of its travel through said housing.

3. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of which head ends of tobacco hands are secured, means for advancing the drum through the housing from end to end thereof with the axis of the drum transverse to the path of movement of the drum, means on at least one end oi the drum cooperating with means disposed along the path of movement of the drum for rotating the drum enroute, means affording ready removability of said drum from said advancing means, and means on each end of said drum cooperating With means extending along each of the opposite sides of said path for supporting the drum throughout its advancement through the housing, said extending means including a portion intersecting the path of movement of said drum by said advancing means for effecting removal of the drum from said advancing means.

4. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of which head ends of tobacco hands are secured, means movable at a constant predetermined rate of speed for advancing the drum through the housing from end to end thereof, means for rotating the drum at one predetermined rate of speed relative to the speed of said advancing means during one portion of its travel through said housing and at a relatively different rate of speed relative to the speed of said advancing means during another portion of said travel enroute.

5. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in Which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of which head ends of tobacco hands are secured, means movable at a constant predetermined rate of speed for advancing the drum through the housing from end to end thereof, with the axis of the drum transverse to the path of movement of the drum, means on at least one end of the drum cooperating With means disposed along the path of movement of the drum for rotating the drum at one predetermined rate of speed relative to the speed of said advancing means during one portion of its travel through said housing and at a relatively different rate of speed relative to the speed of said advancing means during another portion of said travel enroute.

6. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of which head ends of tobacco hands are secured, means movable at a constant predetermined rate of speed for advancing the drum through the housing from end to end thereof with the axis of the drum transverse to the path of movement of the drum, means on at least one end of the drum cooperating with means disposed along the path of movement of the drum for rotating the drum at one predetermined rate of speed relative to the speed of said advancing means during one portion of its travel through said housing and at a relatively different rate of speed relative to the speed of said advancing means during another portion of said travel enroute, means on each end of said drum cooperating with means extending along each of the opposite sides of said path for supporting the drum throughout its advancement through the housing, said extending means including a portion intersecting the pathof movement of said drum by said advancing means for effecting removal of the drum from said advancing means and from the influence of said cooperating rotating means.

7. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of which head ends of tobacco hands are secured, means for advancing the drum through the housing from end to end thereof With the axis of the drum transverse to the path of movement of the drum, and means on opposite ends respectively of the drum and cooperating with means along the opposite sides respectively of said path of movement of the drum for rotating said drum and for supporting said drum independent of said advancing means as the drum travels through the housing, the means along the opposite sides of the path of movement of the drum having portions intersecting the path of movement of the drum by said advancing means for removing the drum from the influence of said advancing means.

8. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in Which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of Which head ends of tobacco hands are secured, a shaft axially aligned with and extending beyond the opposite ends respectively of said drum and transverse to the path of movement of said drum, a rail extending along each of the opposite sides of said path from end to end of said hous- I ing, a pair or chains respectively traveling on said rails, open bearings on said chains at spaced intervals for receiving the opposite ends respectively of said shaft for advancing said drum through said housing from end to end thereof, a second rail parallel to each of the iirst said rails, and a Wheel on each end of said shaft and running on the second said raiis respectively, said wheels relieving said chains of the weight of said drum.

9. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of which head ends of tobacco hands are secured, a shaft axially aligned with and extending beyond the opposite ends respectively of said drum and transverse to the path of movement oi said drum, a rail extending along each of the opposite sides of said path from end to end of said housing, a pair of chains respectively traveling on said rails, open bearings on said chains at spaced intervals for receiving the opposite ends respectively of said shaft for advancing said drum through said housing from end to end thereof, a second rail parallel to each of the iirst said rails, and a Wheel on each end of said shaft and running on the second said rails respectively, said Wheels relieving said chains of the Weight of said drum and effecting rotation of said drum by traction with said second rails.

l0. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of which head ends of tobacco hands are secured, a shaft axially aligned with and extending beyond the opposite ends respectively of said drum and transverse to the path of movement of said drum, a rail extending along each of the opposite sides of said path from end to end of said housing, a pair of chains respectively traveling on said rails, open bearings on said chains at spaced intervals for receiving the opposite ends respectively of said shaft for advancing said drum through said housing from end to end thereof, a second rail parallel to each of the rst said rails,

a Wheel on each end of said shaft and running on the second said rails respectively, said Wheels relieving said chains oi the Weight of said drum, a gear on at least one end of said shaft adapted to mesh with a gear rack secured in said housing parallel to said rails for rotating said drum enroute.

11. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated housing in which the tobacco is treated, a drum around the periphery of which head'ends of tobacco hands are secured, a shaft axially aligned with and extending beyond the opposite ends respectively of said drum and transverse to the path oi movement oi said drum, a rail extending along each of the opposite sides of said path from end to end of said housing, a pair of chains respectively traveling or: said rails, open bearings on said chains at spaced intervals for receiving the opposite ends respectively of said shaft for advancing said drum through said housing from end to end thereof, a second rail parallel to each of the rst said rails, a Wheel on each end of said shaft and running on the second said rails respectively, said Wheels relieving said chains of the weight of said drum, a plurality of gear wheels of relatively different pitch diameters on said shait adapted to mesh respectively with gear rack sections successively disposed along the length of said housing parallel to said rails for rotating said drum at different speeds in diierent predetermined portions respectively of its travel through said housing.

12. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising an elongated housing in Which the tobacco is treated, a plurality of drums for attaching heads of tobacco hands to the respective peripheries thereof, means for advancing said plurality of drums through said housing simultaneously in successive order, means for simultaneously rotating said drums enroute, and means for successively removing said drums from the influence of said advancing and said rotating means.

13. A tobacco casing apparatus comprising an elongated housing in which the tobacco is treated, a plurality of drums for attaching heads of tobacco hands to the respective peripheries thereof, means for advancing said plurality of drums through said housing simultaneously in successive order, means for simultaneously rotating said drums enroute, a support for said drums at each end of said housing for feeding loaded drums of untreated hands to said advancing means at one end of said housing and for receiving the loaded drums of treated hands at the opposite end of the housing, and means carried by said advancing means for engaging a drum on the support at the feed end of the housing, advancing the engaged drum through the housing and depositing the engaged drum on the support at said opposite end of the housing free of said advancing means.

ALPHEUS O. HURXTHAL. 

